Track-shifting machine



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E. E. PETERSON TRACK SHIFTING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwmwwto'a E. E. PETERsDN TRACK SHIFTING MACHINE July 13, 1926. 1,592,153

Filed April 14, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fjvwemtoz I alike-uni July 13, 192%. 1,592,153

E. E. PETERSON TRACK SHIFTING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Qwuentoz A Erzzea$Z7PeTefaafl July 13 1926.

E. E. PETERSON TRACK SHIFTING MACHINE gwuwwto'a v Irzzeaffl F-ienson 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July i3, 192%.

urrr. sr'ras ERNEST E. PETERSON, OF HIBBING, MINNESOTA.

TRACK-SHIFTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 14, 1926.

This invention relates to a track shifting machine, whereby a pair of rails to be moved together with their attached ties may be shifted laterally under control of mechanism carried on a car adapted to be clamped to the rails.

Such track shifting machines are employed in openmining and in other extensive excavating operations. With machines 0 of this class, thetrack is raised from the road bed and shifted laterally in step by step movement, and. the car carrying the shifting mechanism is run from one section f track to another.

Machines heretofore used for this purpose, have been provided with .a tilt-able thrust boom or spud for raising the track and car upon a pedestal, and the lateral movement of the track has been produced by gravity, acting upon the elevated track and car to tilt the supporting boomor spud. It will be evident that the speed of shifting is dependent to a large degree upon the distance that can be traversedin each step. Further, in order to properly align sections of track, it is important to provide for either large or small movements of the track and for placing the same in exactly the desired new position.

It'is the object of the present invention to provide mechanism for producing an unusually large lateral displacement of the track at each operation of the machine, and also to afford control of the track when elevated from the road bed, wherebyraccurate positioning in the new location is facilitated. I

More particularly it is my object to provide a machine of this class with a support for raising the trackin combination with power driven means for forcing the track laterally when the pressure thereof is partially or entirely relieved from the road bed by said support. 1

45 Further objects are to minimize the shock incident to lowering the track to new positions, to render the machine more durable and to generally improve the construction and arrangement thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have illustrated the best form of my device at present known to me. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device, portions being brokenaway to show mechanism otherwise concealed; Fig. 2 1s a sect1on taken on the line Serial No. 101,955.

the elevating mechanism onthe car; Fig. 7

is a plan view of the traversable frame or slide and Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the machine.

This invention is an improvement upon the machine described and claimed in United States Patent No. 1,264,37 6, granted to C. H. De Vey and E. E. Peterson, and dater April 30, 1918.

I provide a car, indicated by the numeral 10, which is mounted upon suitable flanged wheels 11, adapted to run upon the rails 12 to be moved. These rails are secured in the usual manner to a series of ties 13 and a suitable power unit or motor 14: is carried on the car 10 and arranged to drive a shaft 15. This shaft 15 is operatively connected by sprocket wheels and a chain 16 to a counter shaft 17 near the opposite end of the car, while a third shaft 18-is arranged to be driven from the shaft 17, and is formed with a longitudinal keyway fora sliding worm 19. This worm on the shaft 18 is adapted to drive a worm wheel 19 in acasing 19". The worm wheel 19 is fixed on an end of a longitudinal shaft 20.

The elevating mechanism proper includes a pinion 21 fixed on a shaft 20 in engage ment with a rack on a boom or spud 22. shoe 23 on the lower end of the spud is adapted to engage the road bed between the ties 13 and to sup sort the car in elevated position. This shoe 23 is pivoted upon the boom 22, and a suitable bearing 24 on the machine frame permits longitudinal and tilting movement of said boom. Slidable transverse the car 10 in guideways 25, is a carriage 26, upon which is mounted, the bearings 27 of the shaft 20 and the bearings 24 for the boom 22.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6, one of the bearings 27 supports an arm 28, formed with a head 29, adapted to engage the threads on a long screw 30. This screw has bearings 31 on the side frame members. (Fig. 6) of the car and is arranged it in to be rotated independently of the shaft by a sprocket 32. It will be understood that when the screw is rotated. the head 25) in engagement therewith traverses the carriage sti across the car. .Yhen the shaft 20 is rotated. the pinion 21 actuates the rack on the boom longitudinally and thrusts said boom upward or downward depending on the direction of rotation.

Means for forcibly drawing the car 10 laterally, together with the truclnwvhen supported upon the boom 22, are provrdeth being designed to act sin'inltaneously with downward movement of said boom. For this purpose. I mount drums 33 and 34 on the shaft 20 and provide a clutch member 3a. arranged to be operated by clutch levers 36 to selectively connect either of the drums 33 or 3% with said shaft. Upon the peripherv of the drums and 31 are wound cables ill and 38 respectively, and one end of each of these cables is secured to the periphery of a drum. The cables pass over a series of guide sheaves, and are secured to the lower portion of the boom 22 at respectively opposite sides thereof. (See Fig. Thus, the cable 37, which is arranged to be wound on the drum 33, is extended over a sheave 45 connected to the right side of the car 10, (Fig. and its extremity is fastened to the right side of the boom 22, and the cable 38 1S similarly arranged on the drum 3a and secured to the left side of the boom 22, after passing over the periphery of a sheave all mounted on the left side of the car.

The clutch member is keyed to the shaft 20. but slidable longitudinally thereon, and the drums 33 and 34; may be rotated on the shaft 20. Clutch teeth 39 are formed on the faces of the drums 33 and 3a, adjacent to the clutch member 35, and coacting teeth are formed on said clutch member to engage the teeth on the drums. The clutch teeth have sloping outer faces which coact, when the shaft 20 is turned in one direction, to tree the member 35 from either of the drums 33 or 34 to which it may be connected. A suitable coiled spring is connected to each ot the drums 33 and at to maintain the cables 37 and 38 under tension at all times. As illustrated, the springs 40 each consists of a spirally arranged band of metal, which is secured to the hub of one of the drums at its inner end and fastened to one of the bearings 27 at its outer end. Unwinding of the cables 37 and 38 is thus opposed by the springs lO.

For convenience in operating the clutch, a pair of the levers 36 are provided. one at each side of the shaft 20. These levers are pivoted in a bearing ll, supported on the carriage 26. As shown in Fig. 7, the bearing ll has projecting portions 42 upon which are journalled a pair as of the sheaves for guiding the cables 37 and 3S. Clamps $8 of suitable design are arranged to be actuated to secure the car 10 upon the rails 12 in such a manner that the rails may be bodily raised tr'oi'n the road bed and shifted laterally when the car is elevated upon the spud will be evident that the spud 22, together with the shoe 23, constitutes a pedestal for supporting the car and track above the road bed.

Operation.

To shift a section of the rails 12, the clamps 48 are first moved into engagement with the rails, as shown in Figs. 2 and S, and by operating the screw 30, the carriage 26 is traversed to a position a little to one side of the middle of the car 10 and upon the side towards which the track is to be shifted. Thus, if the track is to be shifted to the right, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. the carriage 26, supporting the drums 33 and 34-. the boom 22 and driving worm 15), is shifted to the right of the middle of the car, as shown in Fig. 8, and the upper end of the boom is inclined toward the left, with the shoe 23 near the right rail 12. During this movement of the carriage, the clutch levers 36 are in the neutral position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. It vill be understood that when the screw 30 is rotated. it operates the threaded head 29 to move the carriage 26 through the arm 28. The springs l0 permit the cable 37 to be extended from the drum 33 and wind the cable 38 upon the drum 3 t. The power is then connected so as to rotate the shaft 20 and pinion 2i in the proper direction to thrust the spud downward until the weight of the car and rails is substantially all carried upon the spud. Xow the clutch lever 36 is tlr'own to the left, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. to connect the drum with the shaft 20. Further downward movement of the boom is accompanied by simultaneous winding of the cable 37 upon the drum 33. to thereby forcibly draw the car 10 and track toward the right (Figs. 8, J and 10) and simultaneously raise the car, rails and ties from the road bed and tilt the boom 22. the shitting operation continues, the spud 22 is forced to vertical position and then to tilt toward the right and finally to lower the rails to their new position. Thus the rails and ties are carried to substantially the position shown in Fig. 9 and are finally lowered to the new position. as illustrated in Fig. 10. Upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the shaft 20, the boom 22 is raised and the drums 33 and 3% are freed. The above described operation may be repeated to move the track and ties in step by step movement the desired distance.

If it is found that a section of track has not been properly aligned. or requires further shifting a short distance in either direction the spud may be placed vertically with the shoe midway between the rails 12. Power is applied to thrust the spud downward until substantially all of the weight of the track and car is supported thereby and then the clutch member 35 may be thrown into engagement with either drum or 34 as required. The track may thus be moved an unusually short distance to the exact position desired. My means for positively traversing the car and track relative to the supporting shoe have the further advantage of making it possible to traverse a maximum distance in each shiftingstep and minimize the shock upon the mechanism incident to lowering the track to its new position. After the track hasbeen shifted to its new position, the clamps 48 are operated to release the rails, as indicated in Fig. 10.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to proctect by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a track shifting machine, the combination with a car adapted to be secured to the rails to be shifted, a pedestal arranged on said car to be actuated downward to raise said car and rails, thrust means for said pedestal and power driven traversing mechanism for said car and rails operatively connected to said support, whereby said car and rails may be forcibly traversed while elevated on said support. 7

2. In a track shifting machine, the combination with a car adapted to be secured to the rails to be shifted, a tiltable pedestal mounted on said car and arranged to be actuated downward to raise said car and rails and power driven traversing mechanism connected to a relatively stationary portion of said pedestal, whereby said car and rails may be forcibly traversed simultaneously with the downward thrust of said pedestal.

3. In a track shifting machine, the combination with a car adapted to be secured to the rails to be shifted, a support arranged on said car to be thrust downward to raise car and rails, power driven thrust means port, a pair of drums revoluble on said shaft, means arranged to be manipulated to selectively connect either of said drums with said shaft, and a pair of cables severally wound upon said drums and connecting respectively opposite sides of said support with the lateral sides of the car whereby said car and rails may be traversed while elevated upon said. support.

5. In a track shifting machine, the con1bination wth a car adapted to be clamped to the supporting rails, an independent support for the car arranged to be thrust downward to raise the same together with the support ing rails, a power driven shaft on said car, a pair of drums revoluble on said shaft, flexible means severally connecting said drums with opposite sides of said support, whereby said car and rails may be traversed when elevated and means arranged to selectively connect either of said drums with said shaft.

6. In a track shifting machine, the combination with a car adapted to be secured to the rails to be shifted, of a carriage movable transverse said car, a support arranged, on

said carriage to be thrust downward to raise said car and rails, power driven thrust means for said support, a pair of drums on said carriage, cables severally wound on said drums and connecting respectively opposite sides of said car with opposite sides of said support, means adapted to be operated to selectively rotate either of said drums to thereby traverse said car and rails simultaneously with downward movement of said support and means for traversing said carriage independently of downward movement of said support.

7. In a track shifting machine, the combination with a car adapted to be clamped to the supporting rails, of a carriage traversable across said car, a tiltable spud, carrying a shoe on its lower end arranged on said carriage to be thrust downward to raise the same together with the supporting rails, a shaft operatively connected with said spud, a pair of drums severally revoluble on said shaft, cables severally connecting said drums with opposite sides of said spud near the lower end thereof, whereby said car and rails may be traversed relative to said shoe, a clutch arranged to selectively connect either of said drums with said shaft, and means for resiliently maintaining said cables under tension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

ERNEST E. PETERSON. 

